Everything you need to know about 'One Day – The Musical' in the West End

The new musical based on David Nicholls's beloved love story arrives in the West End this winter starring Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose.

Summary

• One Day begins performances at the Garrick Theatre on 17 November 2026
• The show is written by Amanda Sudano; Abner Ramirez; Freya Catrin Smith and David Greig
• Max Webster directs the production
• Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose star as Dexter and Emma

Did you know that today (15 July) is St Swithin’s Day? The rhyme goes: “St Swithin's day, if thou dost rain / For forty days it will remain / St Swithin's day, if thou be fair / For forty days 'twill rain no more”. It's the date that recurs in David Nicholls’s One Day, which comes to the West End as a musical this winter.

The bittersweet, will-they-won't-they story of the love and friendship between odd couple Dexter and Emma was first seen on stage in Edinburgh this spring starring Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose, who reprise their roles in the West End. The production is directed by Max Webster (The Importance of Being Earnest, Macbeth) and features an original score Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez (with additional lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith) and a book by David Greig.

Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska for producers Melting Pot said: “From the moment we encountered One Day, we recognised its extraordinary emotional power. This is a story for anyone who has been in love, for anyone whose life hasn’t gone to plan, for anyone whose life has, for anyone who has had a parent, or a child, or a friend – so everyone really – which is why it has resonated with millions of people around the world.” It’s sure to be one of the most buzzy, romantic, and emotional shows of the year – read on to learn more.

Book One Day – The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is One Day – The Musical about?

One Day – The Musical is about Dexter (“Dex”) Mayhew and Emma (“Em”) Morley, who meet on their last night as students at Edinburgh University on 15 July 1988 and spend a platonic night together. Emma, who comes from a working-class family in Leeds, is idealistic and wants to change the world, while the upper-class Dexter is wealthy and hedonistic. The story takes place over 20 years, in which we check in with the pair every year on 15 July (St Swithin’s Day). Will Dex and Em get together and be able to make things work, or will there always be an obstacle in the way?

Who wrote One Day – The Musical?

One Day – The Musical is based on the novel by David Nicholls, which was first published in 2009 and became one of the most ubiquitous books of its time. Known for his eminently readable style and ability to blend humour and poignancy, Nicholls’s other novels include Starter for Ten, Us, Sweet Sorrow, and You Are Here.

The musical features music and lyrics by Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez of the band Johnnyswim. Freya Catrin Smith (Ride) provides additional lyrics. The book is by Scottish playwright David Greig, whose credits include Outlying Islands, Midsummer, and Dunsinane.

When was One Day – The Musical first performed?

One Day – The Musical was first performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in March 2026. Edinburgh was a fitting location for its premiere as it is Dexter and Emma’s university city.

Where is One Day – The Musical being performed in the West End?

One Day – The Musical is being performed at the Garrick Theatre on Charing Cross Road. This venue has a capacity of approximately 735 audience members and is currently home to The Producers until 19 September.

When is One Day – The Musical being performed?

One Day – The Musical starts performances on 17 November 2026 and is booking until 14 March 2027. Performances take place from Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm.

How long is One Day – The Musical?

One Day – The Musical runs at approximately 2 hours 40 minutes.

Who is in the cast of One Day – The Musical?

Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose have been confirmed to reprise their roles as Dexter and Emma. Muscato is one of the West End’s most popular leading men, whose credits include J.D. in Heathers, Christian in Moulin Rouge!, Anatole Kuragin in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Olivier nomination), Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, and the Emcee in Cabaret. Rising star Rose’s credits include Eliza Schuyler in Hamilton and Sylvia Pankhurst in Sylvia.

Further casting is to be announced.

Who is in the One Day – The Musical creative team?

One Day – The Musical is directed by Max Webster, whose credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (National Theatre and West End), Titus Andronicus (RSC), and Macbeth (starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo at the Donmar Warehouse and in the West End).

The show also features choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (SIX), set and costume design by Rae Smith (War Horse), lighting design by Bruno Poet (Macbeth), and sound design by Simon Baker (the Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol).

Who are the characters in One Day – The Musical?

One Day – The Musical features the following cast of characters:

Dexter Mayhew: a privileged young man who has a carefree approach to life but is in fact wracked with insecurity and self-destructive tendencies. Emma Morley: an intelligent young woman with a strong social conscience who becomes a theatremaker, teacher, and children’s author. Alison Mayhew: Dexter’s mother. Stephen Mayhew: Dexter’s father. Tilly: Emma’s best friend. Sylvie: Dexter’s first wife. Ian: Emma’s boyfriend. Callum: Dexter’s university flatmate. Mr Godalming: the headmaster of the school where Emma works. Jasmine: Dexter and Sylvie’s daughter.

What songs are in One Day – The Musical?

In Edinburgh, the score for One Day – The Musical comprised the following songs (it's possible there will be some changes for the West End):

Act 1:

"One Day - Opening" "Blackbirds" "Make A Life Worth Living" "Loco Caliente" "Taj Mahal" "Em and Dex" "Night Swimming" "The Lifestyle" "Make A Life Worth Living (Reprise)" "Pick Up, Em" "Showbiz" "Em's One Day"

Act 2:

"It's My Day" "The Maze" "River Lights" "Showbiz (Reprise)" "You" "Em and Dex (Reprise)" "Blackbirds (Reprise)" "Dex's One Day" "It All Starts Here Today"

Is there a screen version of One Day?

One Day was first adapted as a feature film in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, which received lacklustre reviews. Far more successful was the 2024 Netflix adaptation starring Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod.

What are some fun facts about One Day – The Musical?

• St Swithin was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and patron saint of Winchester Cathedral whose feast day is on 15 July. He is known for his many miracles and he is one of the saints to whom believers should pray in the event of drought.

• David Nicholls has talked about how he was inspired by a line in Thomas Hardy‘s Tess of the d’Urbervilles which notes that as well as birthdays and anniversaries, "there was yet another date, of greater importance to [Tess] than those; that of her own death...a day which lay sly and unseen and among all the other days of the year, giving no sign or sound”. As a screenwriter, he has adapted Hardy’s Tess for television and Far from the Madding Crowd for film.

• Nicholls trained as an actor and spent three years working at the National Theatre before becoming a writer. His novel The Understudy is based on these experiences.

• The musical adaptation of Nicholls’s first novel Starter for Ten, about a student who joins his university’s University Challenge team, premiered at the Bristol Old Vic in 2024. Perhaps we’ll get a chance to see it in the West End at some point – fingers on buzzers!

• Co-composer and lyricist Amanda Sudano is the daughter of singer Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano. She and co-writer Abner Ramirez have their own love story as they have been married since 2009.

Book One Day tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: One Day: The Musical (Photo courtesy of the production)